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The Assassin Game

Review

When Cate, a teenage girl who feels devastatingly normal at a school of geeky geniuses and child prodigies, gets invited to join the Assassin’s Guild, she is ecstatic. The Assassin’s Guild is a legend at her boarding school, and being chosen to play is an honor --- even if the initiation ceremony is a bit intimidating. But the initiation ceremony is just the beginning. Every year the Guild plays a game called “Killer” in which one of the Guild members becomes the killer and “kills” the other members of the Guild. It’s all fun and games for Cate and the rest of the Guild members until suddenly the game takes a violent turn.

"Perfect for readers looking for a good “scary” novel...THE ASSASSIN GAME has the perfect amount of romance, suspense, and action to make for a wonderful read."

It soon becomes apparent that the Guild’s beloved game is being sabotaged by someone with violent intentions. As each new “kill” becomes more deadly than the last, Cate and her childhood friend, Vaughn, attempt to find who the real killer is before the game is shut down for good. But as the suspect list keeps growing, the danger steadily increases. Soon, Cate becomes certain she is the killer’s next victim. She has to find the real killer before it is too late, or she will die trying.

THE ASSASSIN GAME by Kirsty McKay is an exciting read with quirky characters and a suspenseful plot. The novel begins innocently enough with Cate’s initiation into the Assassin’s Guild. Although readers will be suspicious about the Guild’s true intentions right from the start, the reader will soon get swept along with Cate in the excitement of the game. It truly does seem like “Killer” is just an innocent game at first, as the kills are amusing and exciting. The plot and danger soon thicken, however, and there is no way the reader will be putting down their book anytime soon.

Cate, the main character, is incredibly relatable. At a school full of intelligent, incredibly rich kids, she feels devastatingly normal. Still, it is evident Cate is an independent girl and readers will admire her strong sense of self. Vaughn, Cate’s childhood friend, provides comic relief and a romantic twist to the story. Readers will love his adorable personality and will continue to root for him and Cate. However, the question of who the killer is remains in the back of the reader’s mind throughout the novel, and one cannot be sure who the culprit is until the very end.

Overall, THE ASSASSIN GAME is not particularly frightening, but has a suspenseful plot that will keep readers engaged. Perfect for readers looking for a good “scary” novel that will not keep them up at night, THE ASSASSIN GAME has the perfect amount of romance, suspense, and action to make for a wonderful read.